Come into our office at 2001 E. Main Street and meet Jean Riggins and Mary Kay. They are the tourism coordinators for the Easley Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center. I am proud of the way these ladies present our city and our county to visitors. In 2011 we had 152 families that came into our office to learn where the attractions are in our area. Some came to determine if they would like to live here and some did as a result of our hospitality and information. We sometimes show the 4.5 minute video we made of “Tour Pickens County”. This highlights the things to do and places to go nearby. websites www.easleychamber.org and www.tourpickenscounty.com generate 350 unique visits per day online. In 2011, through some of these inquiries, we mailed 55 packets of local information to visitors and potential relocators.

The Chamber and Visitors Center is the only direct visitor contact that Easley has. We need to make certain that this is funded appropriately as we are value added for Easley.

C. Dan Joyner

We lost a fine gentleman and a friend of mine in January. C. Dan Joyner was a friend to business, schools, his church, hospital, and the chamber of commerce. He was the head cheerleader while at Furman University. He carried that role throughout his life as a cheerleader for the upstate of South Carolina. We will miss Dan Joyner’s enthusiasm and leadership in our area.

Thursday, February 2 – 10:00 am Business of the Month, Best Western Plus, 71 Kalyn’s Way, Piedmont, 552-1420.

Tuesday, February 14 – 8:30 am Ambassadors Meeting

Wednesday, February 8 – 7:30 am – 9:00 am Excellence in Business Series held at Maximum Potential Training, 900 East Main Street, Suite BB, Easley. Continental breakfast served.  Rob Wallace, Edward Jones will be speaking. $10.00 session

Thursday, February 16 – 11:45 am – 1:00 pm “State of the City” Annual Luncheon held at Dunburks Premier Events, 110 S. Pendleton Street, Easley.  Mayor of Easley Larry Bagwell will be our speaker.  $15 for members $18 for non-members.  RSVP by 2/15 to 859-2693.

Saturday, February 18 – 6:00 PM 64th Annual Easley Chamber Awards Banquet & Gala with Michael Cogdill, WYFF.  Tri-County Technical College Easley Campus.   Black Tie suggested. Pre-pay $65 person. RSVP:  864-859-2693.

Tuesday, February 21 – 8:00 am Board of Directors Meeting

Thursday, February 23 – Noon Powdersville Council Luncheon at Powdersville Library, Hwy 81.  Vee Daniel, Better Business Bureau, will be our speaker.  $15 for members $18 for non-members.   RSVP by 2/23 to 859-2693.

Cassidy Durham, Miss Powdersville Teen, and Will Merritt

The Powdersville Business Council of the Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce held their monthly luncheon meeting Thursday, January 26, 2012, at the Powdersville Library. An enthusiastic and inspirational speaker, Will Merritt talked about his life on the Clemson football team and since then as a Powdersville businessman. Will told the group, “As a businessman, always sweat the small stuff”. He also talked about “association with the right people makes a difference” and “being prepared the right way matters”.

Next month’s Powdersville Business Council Luncheon will be held on February 23 at the Powdersville Library with speaker Vee Daniel of the BBB.

Tri County Technology College – Easley

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Black tie is encouraged.  There will be a cash bar and social hour beginning at 6:00 PM.   The grand buffet will begin at 7:00 PM.  Michael Cogdill of WYFF will be the Master of Ceremonies and speaker.

We are offering again this year sponsorships for members.   Sponsorships will include your company’s name recognized on the table, in the program, in the Chamber News, on front page of www.easleychamber.org, on our Facebook page and announced at the Gala.

 Be a Sponsor:

• Download Sponsor Form>>>
• Download Invitation>>>

United Way of Pickens County has been recently recognized by United Way Worldwide as the model small United Way in the nation.

Over the past 2 years,United Way of Pickens County has implemented a community investment model that stems from an effort to address the root causes of the issues that affect our communities.  The long term goal of this shift is to create a reduction in the need for basic, charity-type services through a focus on early childhood development, academic achievement and financial stability.

The communities have the responsibility to help those in need right now. The Pickens County United Way does this by continuing to support the essential services necessary to assist individuals in emergency situations and carry them through those times when they have no food to eat, no heat to warm a home or nowhere to sleep at night.

John Cessarich

John Cessarich, weather forecaster for WYFF News 4 each weeknight, addressed the Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce luncheon on January 19^th at Dunburks Premier Events.  He spoke about his different experiences with his love for weather.  Mr. Cessarich has been a TV broadcaster in Palm Springs, CA, Albany, NY and Atlanta before coming to Greenville in 1991, but commented, “the Greenville area is in the top 5 most difficult markets to forecast.”

John’s work has earned him numerous awards and recognitions.  One of the most popular features on WYFF New 4 is the weekly “John on the Road’ each Thursday evening.  Mr. Cessarich has been named Television Personality of the Year seven times and Best Weathercaster three times.

Frank & Sandra Hubbard

The Butterfly Ministry for girls is a non-profit organization established in Easley by Sandra & Frank Hubbard. The ministry has partnered with some organizations – such as Miracle Hill Children’s Home in Pickens, Helping Hands in Six Mile, Calvary Home in Anderson and recently Miracle Hill Rescue Mission in Greenville, to provide special dolls to special little girls on an on-going basis.

The Butterfly Ministry for girls collects used, damaged, or new historical series American Girl dolls. The ministry also accepts used or new American Girl books, DVDs, clothes and accessories. All monetary donations are used to help purchase dolls, books, DVDs, and doll clothes. The dolls are then donated to little girls who are in the social care system or in an indigent situation.

Over 35 dolls have been donated since the non-profit started in April of 2011. “It is the goal and desire of the ministry to bring awareness to others about the needs of these children,” stated Sandra Hubbard, better known as Mother Hubbard.

Each doll is personally given by Mother Hubbard, along with a decorated tote bag with the doll’s name on it, an extra outfit, the first of six books about the doll and the historical time period, and a Bible. These dolls not only help these little girls to become “little girls” again but present American History to each of them.

For more information or for a donation, please visit www.butterflyministryforgirls.com. Find out how and why this ministry was established. They are also available for presentations.

Chamber President Kent Dykes did the ceremonial puck drop to start the game.

Thursday Januar 12, 2012 was Easley Chamber night at the Greenville Road Warriors ice hockey game at the Bilo Center in Greenville.

It was well attended with 5000+ attendees. Greenville beat Gwinnett 4-2.

From left on front row are David Snyder (Merrill Lynch), Kelli McConnell, Kelly & Kandi Hunt, Libby Grayson, Jackie Roulette and Eric Carnell (BB&T). From left on back row are Janice Perry (Powdersville Water), Nancy Burgess (AXA Advisors), Kent Dykes (President Easley Chamber), Gordon Brush (Powdersville Water) and Tracy Woodruff (Certus).

The Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors selected Kelly’s Family Pharmacy as Business of the Month for January. Kelly’s Family Pharmacy opened in 2008 at 704 Brushy Creek Road in Easley with a goal to provide a service that the customers want and need.

Kelly’s Family Pharmacy accepts all prescription drug insurance plans; offers free delivery to Easley residents and a small $3 charge outside Easley City limits and they have two drive-thru windows to speed pick up of prescriptions. Recently they have expanded their services to 1005 Grove Road in Greenville. Call them for more information at 343-0540.

From left are David Snyder (Merrill Lynch), Kent Dykes (President Easley Chamber), stylists Regina, Amy, Megan, Meg, Mary Biebel (owner), Jada, Natalya, Rachael, Margot Vogelsberg (Upstate Parent) and Nancy Burgess (AXA Advisors)

Supercuts, located in the new Easley Town Center, held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with the Easley Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, January 4th at 2 pm. Supercuts offers the latest hairstyles at affordable prices with no appointments necessary. Supercuts also offers a wide variety of color and facial waxing services and a broad selection of professional haircare products including Paul Mitchell, Sexy Hair, Nioxin, and Redken. Supercuts stylists are licensed professionals that complete an exclusive post-graduate training program and are certified in the latest hairstyles and color techniques. For more information, please call the salon at 855-4800.

To welcome the community, Supercuts is celebrating its grand opening throughout the months of January and February. Check your mail for valuable savings from Supercuts, including the grand opening $9.95 haircut special through January (reg. $15), coupons for $5 Off Color Services and $2 Off Wax Services for January and February, and $3 Off Any Service during February! And there’s more. Register for a Super Grand Prize of an Apple iPad 2! The drawing will be held on January 31.

Supercuts is open Monday-Friday 9 am to 8 pm, Saturday 9 am to 7 pm, and Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm. Supercuts invites the community to drop into the salon, meet the stylists and check out this month’s professional hair care product specials. Be sure to stop by on Tuesday, January 10th from 6 pm to 8 pm when the Greenville Road Warriors hockey team will be there to celebrate Supercuts Grand Opening! Meet Rowdy, the mascot, and a couple of players, great photo opportunity. And the first 10 customer at 6 pm will get free haircuts! Supercuts is a Proud Sponsor of the Warriors Hockey Team.